A really good day. The kind of day where no one would blame a guy for gazing in the mirror when he got back to the hotel and popping the old collar a time or two. Or — and this would be way too far but oh-so fun — even indulging one's self in a "I guess I can coach after all" tweet.

But the Golden State Warriors coach will be doing no such thing, even with this 109-105 Game 1 win in the Western Conference first round series against the Los Angeles Clippers that was supposed to be the beginning of his end.

No Andrew Bogut? (The center has a fractured rib.) No support from ownership when it comes to his future? (Joe Lacob has said Jackson, who has one year left on his deal, will be evaluated at season's end.) No problem.

Jackson kept the ship afloat during that early stretch in which the Clippers led 12-1 and navigated the stormy waters of all that foul trouble. Then he turned in the sort of coaching performance that — if he can find a way to repeat it three more times in this series — will force Lacob to have his mind made up for him.

The we-over-me message that the preacher is always preaching inherently precludes Jackson from patting himself on the back, but the line of folks willing to do it for him was Spring Break-in-Disneyland long.

It started long before the game was even over, with Jackson's old broadcasting pal, former head coach and ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy, admonishing Lacob on national television for not giving Jackson the contract extension he wanted a year ago. It went deep into the night from there, with anyone in blue and gold who was asked about the coach more than happy to sing his praises.

"(Jackson) did an excellent job of subbing on the fly," said small forward Andre Iguodala, who fouled out and played only 20 minutes, getting his fourth foul midway through the second quarter. "I heard somebody try to say a knock (against Jackson) is X's and O's or rotations, but tonight it was almost perfect. ... The second unit was really good for us, especially in that second quarter. We won that second quarter. You'd think (the second unit would) play a lot in the second half, but (Jackson) saw something he really liked and it got us going in the third."

Game 5 in Los Angeles -- Clippers 113, Warriors 103: Dewayne Williams of Memphis participates in a demonstration in front of Staples Center demanding the sale of the Los Angeles Clippers prior to the game. The NBA handed down a lifetime ban on Clippers owner Donald Sterling after it was confirmed that he made racist comments captured on a recording by his girlfriend. (Photo: Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY Sports)

Game 4 in Oakland -- Warriors 118, Clippers 97: Golden State guard Stephen Curry gets back on defense after making one of his five first-quarter three-pointers. (Photo: Kelley L. Cox, USA TODAY Sports)

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Veteran center Jermaine O'Neal, an ardent supporter of Jackson's who had 13 points in 25 minutes, added, "I think (Jackson) did a great job on managing minutes tonight. I think he did a great job of going with the team's five guys who were really rolling, and not necessarily going with a substitution pattern. That's what these playoffs are about. ... The playoffs is about a mental battle, a chess game where ultimately at the end of the day the person with the best moves for the series is going to win this series.

"We're so well coached. We're so well put together that we hear no evil, see no evil (when it comes to the criticism). That's really what it is. We don't hear all the hoopla around us. We don't care much about that. We care about winning."

That's where Jackson and Lacob see eye to eye, of course, with the desire to win. But the fourth-year owner wants to win it all, so it is that he has chosen not to hand out long-term security simply because these Warriors are so much better than most Warriors teams of the recent past.

Yes, their 51-31 regular season record is the best since the 1991-92 Warriors went 55-27 — the last time the Warriors reached the playoffs two consecutive seasons. Yes, his players clearly support and play for him. But like it or not, Jackson, whose cause certainly was not helped with all the assistant coach drama in the Warriors' world of late, is being judged.

Lacob will keep watching and waiting. He'll seek counsel from his revered consultant, legendary player and executive Jerry West, and make the cold and calculated decision that he bought the right to make when his group paid a then-league record $450 million.

"When I speak to Joe, he likes what we have," O'Neal said. "But hey, it's a different era right now. We have a new breed of owners in our league and their patience is a lot shorter. So I don't know ultimately what his plan is — that's up to him. He pays the bills. He can do whatever he wants to do with his team. But from the conversations I've had with him, he likes Mark."

It's hard not to when he gets results like this.

Should the Warriors continue on from here and knock these Clippers into the offseason's abyss, it would be a greater achievement than the first-round upset they pulled off a year ago against the Danilo Gallinari-less Denver Nuggets (also a sixth-seed vs. third-seed matchup).

They are the ones undermanned this time, and the Clippers are the ones who made all the upgrades for their championship pursuit. Doc Rivers helped Chris Paul find another MVP-caliber level (when he was healthy). Blake Griffin was more dominant than ever. DeAndre Jordan was brought back into the program after enduring so many trust issues with former coach Vinny Del Negro. New additions such as J.J. Redick fit in as well as planned.

All that quality work was put in to get the home-court edge, and it's gone in an instant because Jackson's Warriors rallied behind the coach they swear by yet again.

"I'm proud of my guys," Jackson said. "We're not going to quit."

GALLERY: 10 best matchups of first round

The Spurs' Tim Duncan (21) and the Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki (41) have been in-state, in-division, same-position rivals for 16 seasons now, and their first-round playoff meeting will be a familiar one. USA TODAY Sports' Adi Joseph picks 10 other one-on-one matchups you should keep an eye out for in the next two weeks. (Photo: Jerome Miron, USA TODAY Sports)

10. Pacers' David West vs. Hawks' Paul Millsap: These two fearsome rebounders and defenders are the emotional leaders of their teams. Millsap is the All-Star, but West never gets enough credit. (Photo: Pat Lovell, USA TODAY Sports)

9. Bulls' Jimmy Butler vs. Wizards' Bradley Beal: Both under 25, Butler and Beal took very different routes to being among the best young shooting guards in the NBA. Beal has the scoring ability and long-term potential, while Butler has carved out his niche with defense and efficient shooting. (Photo: Geoff Burke, USA TODAY Sports)

8. Raptors' Kyle Lowry vs. Nets' Deron Williams: These two point guards are the best players on their teams, and they embody how their teams play. Williams is a steady but occasionally dominating veteran, while Lowry runs opponents into the ground. (Photo: Adam Hunger, USA TODAY Sports)

7. Clippers' Blake Griffin vs. Warriors' Draymond Green: Griffin may be the most easily irritated star in the NBA, and no one seems to get to him quite like Green. "The Dancing Bear" is smaller but has so much strength that he can frustrate even the best. (Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA TODAY Sports)

5. Bulls' Joakim Noah vs. Wizards' Marcin Gortat: No first-round matchup is going to have more great quotes, and Gortat may be aggressive and strong enough to edge out Noah, who has put up a borderline MVP season. (Photo: Geoff Burke, USA TODAY Sports)

4. Thunder's Russell Westbrook vs. Grizzlies' Mike Conley: Though Westbrook has an obvious edge in natural ability, Conley may be the best defensive point guard in the league. He could frustrate Westbrook, bu he may be overwhelmed first. (Photo: Mark D. Smith, USA TODAY Sports)

2. Thunder's Serge Ibaka vs. Grizzlies' Marc Gasol: These two amazing defensive big men will dominate the paint in this series. Ibaka is the shot-blocker, but Gasol is 7-2 and more polished. (Photo: Justin Ford, USA TODAY Sports)

1. Clippers' Chris Paul vs. Warriors' Stephen Curry: They might be the two best point guards in the NBA, but they have totally different styles. Curry won't be able to stop Paul's drives, and Paul won't be able to defend Curry's shooting. (Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA TODAY Sports)